


Bees?

by guessimdemoms



Series: Strange Magic [2]
Category: Arrested Development
Genre: F/M, Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-10-14
Updated: 2020-10-14
Packaged: 2021-03-09 02:41:04
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,796
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27007507
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/guessimdemoms/pseuds/guessimdemoms
Summary: Alone with his mind reeling, Michael wondered if they could all truly be free from the pain their parents put them through, or were they doomed to trap another soul in the Bluth family, and expose her to the same poison.
Relationships: George Oscar "Gob" Bluth & Michael Bluth, George Oscar "Gob" Bluth/Original Female Character(s)
Series: Strange Magic [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1982122
Kudos: 2





	Bees?

**Author's Note:**

> So it's funny what I chose to keep in the AU from the regular canon, and what I choose to completely disregard. I don't know why bees made it to this, but I'm rolling with it

The bee company comes back when they first move to San Francisco. 

“I know we’re living with you.” Gob explains one day outside of the NICU when they go and visit Renee. “But I want to try and provide for my family on my own.” 

“That’s….very noble of you Gob.” Michael says, shocked. Even after months of changes, rehab, and medication it still shocks the middle Bluth that his brother would act so responsible and be willing to settle down like he had. 

“I’m thinking of trying to start a honey business, San Fran lives for that hippie organic stuff so it’s a pretty big market.” Gob explains and Michael has to force himself not to roll his eyes over the fact that his brother, once again, is obsessed with bees.

“But you have your magic….” 

“I still can’t convince Jesse to let me perform at his club.” Gob says rolling his eyes and Michael knows this, he knows from the loud arguments over the phone that the stubborn man still wasn’t allowing a magic act in his club because he thought it was gimmicky. Which was ironic because his friend was a regular at the club with a comedy act, which also included a woodchuck puppet. 

“I need something to fall back on, for now. Then, if Jessie lets me, I can jump right back into magic.” Gob continues and Michael has never seen such nervous energy in his eyes. He wants to point out that when Renee is out of the hospital, Meredith is going to go back to work but Gob is determined to be the provider, to give his fiance and daughter a comfortable life. Michael sighs. 

“Let me help you call around to try and find a hive.” Michael says and Gob lights up and brings his brother into a soul-crushing hug. 

“Thank you Mikey!” Gob cries and Michael can feel his shoulder getting damp. He’s secretly glad his brother wants to provide, but knows deep down he’s going about it in a misguided way. 

But maybe he’ll be proven wrong, Gob has done that before. 

A week later, and Gob is pulling the family outside to show off two hive boxes that had been dropped off that morning. 

“One hundred fifty bees!” Gob announced with a flourish. 

“They’re not….going in the house are they?” Lindsey asked, backing up slightly to hide behind her husband. 

“No they’ll stay right out here, making honey that I can sell for my honeys.” Gob explains looping an arm around Meredith’s shoulder’s and kissing her head, making her giggle. 

(Maeby behind him gagged.) 

“George, are you sure this is going to work?” Meredith asked. 

“Yeah the upkeep for these things has got to be insane.” Michael muttered, head spinning. 

“Thankfully I bought it off a guy who already had this hive going for four months.” Gob announced puffing out his chest. “I should be swimming in honey in no time.” 

“You’ll be sucking up that sweet nectar of success right in your mouth.” Tobias continued and all the family rolled their eyes at the innuendo, save for Meredith who was busy trying to soothe a fussy Renee. As the Bluth-Funke’s made their way back into the house, Michael grabbed Gob’s arm gently and held him back.

“Gob. I don’t think this is a good idea.” Michael whispered. 

“Mikey this is a way for me to provide.” Gob argued and Michael sighed in frustration. Once his brother was set to do something, he was determined to see it through and that determination had been coming out more with his relationship with Meredith. 

“I know I….” Michael sighed and looked back at the buzzing hives before turning back to his brother. “Look. The Michael B Company needs a filer, someone who can handle paperwork for the day to day. I’ll bring you on for three days a week, it’s steady pay--” 

“I don’t want a suit and tie job!” Gob hissed. “I want to provide for my family on my terms, not the terms of you or dad.” 

“This has nothing to do with dad….” 

“Yes it does! Because deep down you still think I’m everything that dad described me as being! But I can provide without the Bluth’s, Michael! I can be independent!” Gob yelled before storming off and leaving Michael alone with the bees. Alone with his mind reeling, Michael wondered if they could all truly be free from the pain their parents put them through, or were they doomed to trap another soul in the Bluth family, and expose her to the same poison. 

Three weeks later and things had gone to shit. 

It was Michael’s turn to cook and he was making one of the two dishes he could make, chicken noodle soup. As he stirred the broth, his ears perked to a conversation out in the living room and he pretended to be chopping something at the counter to try and hear it better.

“Really Linds, we don’t need any more clothes for Renee.” Meredith pointed out shifting through the pile of brand new baby clothes Lindsey just bought. 

(Well the Michael B Company bought, Michael thought bitterly, briefly wondering if he could inject some of Gob’s new work ethic into his sister.) 

“Oh nonsense, you’re always saying how Renee is outgrowing faster than she can wear.” Lindsey pointed out, putting a onesie against her baby niece who, for once, was napping peacefully. 

“I was going to thrift them.” Meredith muttered looking at the pile of bows sitting next to the pile of clothes. 

“Mere, don’t be so modest.” Lindsey said with a shrug. “We both know you two can’t afford to splurge on clothes anyway.” 

“LINDSEY.” Meredith hissed but, and this made Michael’s heart drop to his stomach, she didn’t correct her sister-in-law almost confirming to the middle Bluth that Gob’s honey business was in trouble. He was having this suspicion for a while; sometimes when he couldn’t sleep and he came downstairs to get some water, he’d find Gob in the living room soothing a colic-y Renee while on his phone either searching for something or on the phone talking desperately to someone about his bees. Michael didn’t want to bring it up since it’d cause another fight, but sometime between the hives first arriving and now something had gone wrong. 

Michael set the pot to simmer before making his way out the kitchen, to the front door. He knew his brother was outside tending to his hives, and he knew he had to confront him about this. 

Only he didn’t make it to the hives, because he nearly tripped over Gob who was sitting on the front stoops with a beer just staring at the boxes. 

“Gob.” Michael sighed with relief and sat next to his brother.

“They’re sick Michael.” Gob mumbled not tearing his eyes away from the box. 

“What’s wrong with them?” Michael asked sitting beside Gob. 

“Colony Collapse Disorder.” Gob sighed, taking a swig of his beer. “I opened up a box last week and found it half-empty. This morning even less.” 

“Is there anything you can do?” 

“I tried shipping it off to this bee hospital, don’t ask.” Gob ordered at his brother’s raised eyebrow. “But they wouldn’t take them because they were afraid it’d affect their other hives. They’ll take the queen once the hive empties out, but that’s all they can do.” Michael blew out a puff of air and gazed over at the hives, flinching at the sound of glass breaking. 

“Fucks sake, I try and I try but I can’t do anything right!” Gob yelled. “The only thing I got is magic and I still can’t perform it! Dove is going to go hungry and it’s all my fault!” 

“Hey, HEY.” Michael yelled, grabbing his brother’s shoulder. “‘Nee’s not going hungry, I’ll be damned if she does.” Gob went quiet but his eyes still shone out of frustration. Michael sighed and let go of his shoulder. 

“Gob. The job at the Michael B Company is still open….” Michael began. Gob began to protest but Michael quickly shut him down. “Just for the insurance alone, think how that’ll benefit if your daughter or Meredith gets sick. And if Jesse let’s you do your act at his club then you can quit, but for now, take this job. You can provide for your family, but everyone needs help now and again.” Gob’s head fell and he stared at the ground, lost in thought, and he took so long that Michael feared he was going to be rejected again. 

Then suddenly, Gob picked his head up, tears shining in his eyes. “Okay…..I’ll take the job.” Michael’s face broke out into a smile and the two brothers hugged like old times. 

“Thank you.” Gob whispered and Michael could feel his shoulder getting wet again, as his brother became overwhelmed with emotion. 

“C’mon.” Michael said softly, drawing back and smiling. “Let’s find you a nice tie to wear.” 

The next morning when Gob comes downstairs in his suit, Meredith can’t stop fawning over him and scolds him for not telling her, when she could’ve packed him a nice lunch. 

Gob gets the office right next to Michael’s and, unlike his previous times in an office, stays and does his work. The only time Michael finds his office empty is around lunch when he comes in and asks if he wants to go out, allowing the middle Bluth to look around at how Gob decorated his space. It was still quintessential Gob, minus the pool table when he was “president” of the Bluth company, but his desk was neater and instead of random knick-knacks mostly full of pictures. There were a couple of Meredith and himself both from when they met on the cruise ship nine months ago, then a picture of a newborn Renee when she was in NICU in the onesie Tobias, of all people, picked out with ‘magic is inside of you’ on the chest. 

“Mikey?” A voice called, and Michael turned to see his brother in the doorway looking confused of why he was in his office. Michael smiled and picked up the picture of Renee. 

“You need another one.” Michael announced. 

“I have more in my bag, I just don’t know which to pick.” Gob admitted shyly. Michael laughed and put the frame back on his brother's desk. 

“C’mon, let’s choose over lunch.” 

And two weeks later, when Jesse finally relented and put Gob on the schedule so he could perform, Gob not only worked at the Michael B Company (Michael put him on all week as opposed to just three days) but performed his magic act three nights a week. 

Michael couldn’t be more proud of his brother.


End file.
